Sports

Former NBA Player Rasual Butler Killed In A Car Accident

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Jason Miller/Getty Images


Former NBA swingman Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle, were reportedly killed in a single-car accident in Studio City, CA early Wednesday morning.

According to TMZ, the 38-year-old lost control of his Range Rover around 2:30 a.m and hit parking meters before proceeding to hit a wall. The car eventually rolled over and came to rest in a store parking lot. L.A. police told NBC Los Angeles that the car was “traveling at speeds two to three times higher than the limit.”

Drafted in 2002 by the Miami Heat in the second round, the La Salle legend and Philly native played for eight teams in his 13-year NBA career–including the Hornets, Clippers, Bulls, Raptors, Pacers, Wizards and Spurs. The 6’7” swingman averaged 7.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game for his career and was widely considered a consummate professional around the league.

Butler most recently played in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league in August. His wife, Leah, was a talented R&B singer and a contestant on American Idol.

Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for BET


The basketball world took to Twitter to express their condolences.

https://twitter.com/Matt_Barnes22/status/958765479044169728

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/958773640698482688

[h/t TMZ]

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Matt’s love of writing was born during a sixth grade assembly when it was announced that his essay titled “Why Drugs Are Bad” had taken first prize in D.A.R.E.’s grade-wide contest. The anti-drug people gave him a $50 savings bond for his brave contribution to crime-fighting, and upon the bond’s maturity 10 years later, he used it to buy his very first bag of marijuana.
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